Fireworks, parades celebrate Independence Day
Neighbors and friends will gather to celebrate American Independence Day in Brighton, Fowlerville, Gregory and Whitmore Lake at parades, fireworks displays and other community events.
The annual Brighton Independence Day Parade, Great Duck Race and Hungry Duck Run are popular July 4 events that fill downtown Brighton with community spirit.
Patriotic, musical and creative parade participants will make their way down Main Street in the parade, following 5K and half marathon runs. After the parade, little yellow rubber ducks will be dumped into the Mill Pond to “race” for top raffle prizes, like a $2,500 cash grand prize.
The Hungry Duck Run will start early in the morning from St. Paul Street east of Grand River Ave. A half marathon starts at 7 a.m. and a 5K Run/Walk at 7:15 a.m. A Duckling Dash for children 10-years and under will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Mill Pond.
The Brighton Independence Day Parade will start at 10 a.m. at the Brighton Education and Community Center (BECC building) at the corner of Main and Church Streets, travel west on Main Street and south on Seventh Street to the Brighton High School parking lot. Parade participants must register by 9:30 a.m.
Hundreds of rubber ducks will be tossed into the Mill Pond after the parade finishes up. The toy ducks will float about until they made their way to a finish line. Raffle tickets will be available during the parade.
Livingston Sunrise Rotary hosts Brighton’s Fourth of July events to raise money to fight hunger through programs such as Gleaners Community Food Bank.
More event details are available at http://brightonjuly4.com and www.hungryduckrun.com
The 40th annual Fowlerville Fireworks and Parade will also feature live music, classic cars and food events around town on Saturday.
A bake sale starts at 2 p.m., which will benefit the Fowlerville Fire Department.
From 3 to 6 p.m., the First Baptist Church at 214 S. Grand Ave. will hold a classic car show and children’s carnival with bounce houses, games and face-painting.
Dawn’s Diner will serve food at the Fowlerville Fairgrounds at 880 W. Grand River Ave. beginning at 5 p.m.
The parade will start from the VFW Hall on Veterans Drive at 7 p.m.
“There are classic cars. We’ve got a group of custom-made bicyclists. Being a farming community, there are a lot of tractors and horses,” said Bruce Brown, a member of the 4th of July Committee.
Live music by Kari Holmes and The Modern Day Drifters and food will be served up from 7-10 p.m. at Community Park.
Following the parade, Fowlerville United Brethren Church at 9300 W. Grand River Ave. will host a family picnic, BBQ and entertainment.
A fireworks show will start at 10:15 p.m. Brown said around 700 mortars will be fired at this year’s fireworks show.
More event details are available at livingstoncountyfireworks.com
Gregory’s 40th Fourth of July Celebration will feature a parade, fireworks, live music and other activities throughout the day.
A parade down M-106 will begin at noon.
Unadilla Firefighters will host a chicken barbecue at 1 p.m.
From 1 to 3 p.m., kids and family-friendly activities will include bounce houses, a dunk tank, a penny hunt, a pie-eating contest at 2 p.m. and a Survival Flight helicopter landing at 2:30 p.m.
Billy Mack & the Juke Joint Johnnies will provide live music beginning at 5:30 p.m.
A fireworks display will commence at dusk.
The various Fourth of July events in Whitmore Lake this weekend include fireworks over the lake at 10 p.m. on Friday night.
Floats, fire trucks and other festive revelers will travel down Main Street in the Independence Day Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
On Saturday night, a parade of boats decorated in lights will launch from Mac’s Marina at 9876 N. Main at 10 p.m.
More information about events in Whitmore Lake is available at whitmorelakefireworks.org
Contact Livingston Daily county and townships reporter Jennifer Eberbach at 517-548-7148 or at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTheWriter.